1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a toilet-seat flush-valve operating mechanism and, more particularly, to a toilet seat lifting mechanism itself and its construction whereby it is capable of bringing into motion a conventional flushing valve. According to the invention, an easily available intermediary pressure, that is, a water supply pressure, is employed as the source of power. The mechanism is characterized in that an actuating water pressure is provided by the stamping of a control valve, which pushes a piston to ascend, thereby permitting the toilet seat to fall down. The ability to descend by the seat is by its own weight, and is not in any way assisted by the piston, and, on the contrary, the motion helps in the lifting up of the piston. From this it can be recognized that the performance of the idle stroke of the piston is aimed at converting energy of the actuating water into potential energy to be temporarily stored. During the descending stroke, this energy is withdrawn for use as the power to lift the toilet seat, while at the same time accompanying the action to open up the flushing valve.
2) State of the Prior Art
It is a common experience that in using a water closet the user has always to stoop the body to raise or lower the toilet seat before or after use and to press the handle to flush the bowl by hand. This is not only an unpleasant job but is also unhealthful, for in so doing, it often causes contamination to the hand by stains around the toilet seat and on the flush handle. The situation is particularly serious in the case of public conveniences, and there is thus a need for the provision of an efficient and safe mechanism for automatically raising and lowering a toilet seat, as well as for opening the flush valve to flush the toilet bowl.
In this aspect, there has now been found some relevant teachings in this direction. For instance, the Canadian Patent No. 1,054,306 to Liu discloses an electrically operated lid-lifting and flushing device for use with toilets. Such devices with motors, electrical means and switches are inconvenient and unsuitable for use in toilet rooms, where, since there is a need for frequent cleansing with water, there is thus a likelihood of shock accidents due to current leakage.
Attempts have also been directed to the utilization of hydraulic power to automatically control the raising and lowering of the toilet seat, as well as the flushing of the bowl. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,291,422 to Shoemaker et al. teaches a double-acting mechanism which employs four way control valves and a piston rod. This mechanism, with a complicated construction, is quite cumbersome, rendering its use highly undesirable.
The foregoing deficiencies in the prior art are overcome by the combined toilet-seat lifting and flush-valve opening mechanism of the present invention, which differs from the prior art in the provision of a single-acting piston-cum-static weight member for positively controlling the movement of the toilet seat at the complete discretion of the toilet user.